Highlights | Press Conference | Photo Gallery | Box Score (PDF)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In front of a sold-out State Farm Center crowd, No. 17 Illinois dropped its Big Ten home opener to Penn State, 74-59, in Champaign on Saturday afternoon.Â
Matthew Mayer finished in double figures for the second straight game, scoring a team-high 14 points in the defeat, while Skyy Clark tallied 11 points and led the Illini with three 3-pointers, tying a career-high mark.
The Illini outrebounded the Nittany Lions, 32-26, including seven offensive rebounds, off of which Illinois recorded 10 second-chance points.
Illinois (7-3, 0-2) returns to State Farm Center next Saturday, Dec. 17, to take on Alabama A&M at 3 p.m. CT.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
- Fifth year Matthew Mayer scored 14 points and added three rebounds.
- Mayer ended the first half with 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including 2-for-5 from behind the arc.
- Mayer has made multiple 3-pointers in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
- Mayer has back-to-back double-digit scoring performances for the first time this season.
- Freshman Skyy Clark scored 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, setting a new career high.
- Clark went 3-for-6 from deep, matching his career high for makes.
- Junior Coleman Hawkins scored six points, secured seven rebounds and dished out six assists.
- Hawkins has at least six assists in three games this season.
- Hawkins has at least seven rebounds in four-straight games.
